Some of my WordPress insights

Insights from The WP Guy

eCommerce website plugins

WP e-Commerce

Free version

• easy to use
• can only list products in one long list on set pages
• has the odd bug, eg categories feature wasn't working recently
• the forum is ok but not exhaustive of all issue you could potentially have

Paid version $40 - $200 depending on whether your website is a blog or a commercial enterprise

• can display products in grid formation
• has less bugs due to more code development and motivation
• developer access: twitter: @danmilward

http://www.instinct.co.nz/e-commerce/

WP eStore - (an alternative option to WP eCommerce)

US$30

• presented better in my opinion and the shopping cart graphics are quite nice
• takes longer to learn to use, so less plug and play. More like plug, read, read, then play
• can put products easily in posts and pages

http://www.tipsandtricks-hq.com/wordpress-estore-plugin-complete-solution-to-sell-digital-products-from-your-wordpress-blog-securely-1059

Twitter Goodies

adds your avatar automatically

fully customisable colours

http://wordpress.org/extend/plugins/twitter-goodies/

• WordPress.com Stats
• install from day one to have a historical reference to traffic

will need to register with http://wordpress.org to get API Key

to use with it and Askimet antispam plugin

http://wordpress.org/extend/plugins/stats/

Technical Support

Install for clients to be the first point of contact from admi panel

or install for yourself and put in your tech support persons details

to save looking for it outside of WordPress

http://wordpress.org/extend/plugins/technical-support/

the full list of plugins I prefer are here

http://thewpguy.com.au/2009/10/wordpress-plugins-that-i-find-useful/

Contact Forms

Secure and Accessible PHP Contact Form

• produces a good and preformatted contact form
• ready to go straight after activation
• accessible to everyone and
• does not exclude the sight impared as

the CAPTCHA forms do. Something often overlooked.

http://green-beast.com/blog/?page_id=136

CFormsII

• great looking form that is very customisable
• uses human test anti spam tecnique or CAPTCHA
• lets to put multiple forms on one page
• can keep records of forms submitted in the database if feature is turned on

http://www.deliciousdays.com/cforms-plugin/

Hosting Options

http://mediatemple.net

$US20 per month for grid service

• can take huge traffic spikes from places like digg
• can have all of your domains under the one account
• easy wordpress install process
• 24/7 365 day phone tech support with a (02) to call which connects to California.

Themes

I prefer to pay for a theme

• cleaner coding
• better support
• more flexibility

Themes / theme businesses worth looking into

Woo themes:

http://www.woothemes.com/

StudioPress: http://www.studiopress.com/

Thesis:

http://diythemes.com/

Benefits

• google antispam engine
• Over 7G of Storage
• access from anywhere without needing your own computer
• up to 50 accounts on Standard edition which is free
• integrated caledar and document storage with group share

options

more information

http://www.google.com/apps/intl/en/business/details.html

and that's all folks hope that helps

WP ECommerce Bible

$US35

Lots of great information from the basics when getting

started to the more advanced coding techniques.

Well worth owning if you intend using this plugin a lot.

http://www.wpecommercebible.com

Core plugins

Google Apps